Guided tours to Germany

[Lord Vader]

Just been sitting here and watching a tv program on bike tours in Germany. What a load of Shi*t.
The guy was so boring but deb just loved the area he went through. So we started talking bike tours and if there would be any interest in guided tours to Germany.
7-10 days, different areas, different interests
Of my head I would say
Elephant rally
Rhine/Mosel valleys plus Johannes fest in Mainz
Castle and romantic route down to the alps
Maybe northern Germany, with a WW2 theme incorporating Berlin(Wall, check point Charlie, Sachsenhausen concentration camp...)
Southern Germany Germany(Black Forest....)
That would be tours from as little as 5 days to maybe 2 weeks.
None of the above as high mileage days. Lots of sightseeing, coffee stops, food sampling and the odd beer or two.
I was thinking more the lower budget option with mostly camping and the odd youth hostel thrown in.
So what you guys think. Would there be a market for that? How much would you be prepared to pay for a guided tour. You pay all your own expenses.
So what you think?

[V_King]

I don't see the need to do a guided tour for any european country - get a lonely planet guide or a specialised road guide and off you go. it is much more fun just to follow the road.

For example did loads of good roads in southern France and mountain range in Spain. Have no idea were I was, but want to go back :laugh:

Unless there is a greater need for companionship than travel.

[Shotgun]

How much would you be prepared to pay for a guided tour.
So what you think?

F**ck all. And what I think is if you take a paying tour you are a tourist. If you are a real biker you plan it yourslf, and do it yourself, so you don't need to feel ashamed. If you want to pay, take a bus tour.

Can you forget WWII when you go to Germany? It was more than half a century ago.

[davsato]

I don't see the need to do a guided tour for any european country ...........

i must agree. get off the ferry and turn left, when every blade of grass is the regulation 15mm, youve found germany (which is a top place to visit, by the way)

but some people need mothering, they like the cushion of having everything sorted out for them, even going as far as having escorted rides and a 'rep' to complain to.
its nearly always cheaper DIY though, to my mind youre not only paying for your holiday, youre paying your share of the guides holiday too. good luck with it though vader

[Shotgun]

I don't see the need to do a guided tour for any european country ...........[/qu when every blade of grass is the regulation 15mm, youve found germany (which is a top place to visit, by the way)

Tosh! :silly: :blink: You must cancel your copy of the Daily Mail. And get into the 21st century. :laugh:

[africajim]

Well, I've done it both ways, I've toured around Germany with Fiona, a decent map and on you go, an adventure! We pass through Germany every year, have done for over a decade and love every minute of it.

We have also done the guided tour with Mr Vader and can heartily recommend it! Peter's knowledge of the Rhine valley is 2nd to none as he was brought up there and still has family in the area. The craic was brilliant and wouldn't hesitate on doing it again. Highlights? Benno's for food, Whisper valley for roads, the Johannes fest in Mainz for entertainment!

In all the yrs I've went to Germany I've had no problems, the folk I've met have been friendly, and the food and drink has been fantastic.

As for what's it worth? Well, I don't know, you would have to view the costs involved and base it on what other tour operators are charging mate. As for value for money? Well, you could cross Germany on the Autobahns and see,,,, well,,,, about as much as you would see on the M6! A guided tour of the area by someone who knows all the must see parts is far more enjoyable. If nobody wanted to do this then why are rally rideouts so popular? Because the locals know the best roads, views etc. Others are offering a similar service and making money at it so why not test the water? Best of luck mate.

[AndyB]

It depends on whether you're offering guided tours from the UK to certain German regions and nursing the paying customer all the way or if you're offering day trips out in those areas with the customer making their own way there and paying you for a day of being shown the parts normally missed.

I for one wouldn't go near a trip where everything was laid out for me in advance but given the opportunity to ride down to somewhere like the Black Forest and then have a day where I didn't have to rely on picking a route and hoping it was a good one wouldn't be a bad idea. We stopped in the Hotel Enzian in Landeck, Austria where the owner offered to take groups out on a daily basis (free of charge if you were stopping at the hotel) and tailored the rides to suit what the participants wanted. That was great fun because he knew exactly where to go to avoid heavy traffic and was happy to ride like an absolute lunatic if the group could keep up.

[magicroundabout]

Germany is a great place to bike however I wouldn't go for camp sites not because there is anything wrong with them but a single room in a good hotel can be had for £35 and at the end of the day people want a bit of luxury and security.

[father zed]

There's no shortage of stuff to see and do in Germany, especially if you like history.
(As there is in Europe as a whole).

As a marketing exercise, I would think guided tours would be a more tenable idea
for North Americans. (the majority of Brit bikers I know, just take themselves off..)

But the thought of 7 - 10 days with Chatt, Buck and Dwight doesn't brim me to the gunnels with joy

[dragonwheels]

I went to the Black Forest Twice, was guided by locals with great road knowledge so we did the BEST roads and about 15km of trails - highly recommended area to ride. Luckily I worked for Touratech so had colleagues as guides. Local knowledge can make a good tour/ride great..d.i.y is fun too, but if you enjoy a craic, group dynamics (and group drinking) can be a blast.
An experience shared is one of life's great joys..don't rule out contacting a German Tour specialist - they all speak excellent English - or go to Enzian Hotel and Crazy Klaus will sort you with maps and routes through the Alps.